Dylan Cease pitches 4 crisp innings for Chicago White Sox

PHOENIX (AP) — Dylan Cease said it was probably the best he had ever commanded his fastball.

Not bad at all for a spring training game in March.

Cease pitched four sharp innings for the Chicago White Sox in a 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday. The 6-foot-2 right-hander allowed one run on Keston Hiura's long homer in his final inning and three hits in his second exhibition start.

“Really for most of the spring my fastball command's good, so I think it's just a continuation of the process of working on it,” Cease said.

The White Sox are hoping Cease becomes a regular in their rotation this season. Cease, who was acquired in the July 2017 trade that sent José Quintana to the crosstown Cubs, made his major league debut July 3 and went 4-7 with a 5.79 ERA in 14 starts.

The 24-year-old Cease ran his fastball into the upper-90s against Milwaukee. He struck out the side in the second, including punchouts of veterans Avisaíl García and Jedd Gyorko.

“Whenever I'm facing anyone, especially in a big league spring training game, they're all good hitters,” Cease said. “But to get big league guys out, that's definitely a confidence booster.”

Cease said it was a hanging curveball that Hiura crushed to straightaway center field.

“Based on how he hit it I think it was hanging,” a grinning Cease said. “I don't know for sure.”

Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff pitched three effective innings in his third spring start, allowing an unearned run and three hits. He went 11-3 last year with a 3.62 ERA in 22 starts.

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